SWNOVELS Chapter 71
The makeshift war camp bustled with activity as Lyra, Fenris, and their allies prepared for their assault on the nearest shadow portal. Humans and elves worked side by side, forging weapons imbued with light magic and crafting armor designed to withstand the corrosive touch of the shadow beasts.
Fenris stood at the edge of the camp, his keen eyes scanning the horizon. The blood- red sky cast an eerie glow over the blasted landscape, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe at a distance. But it wasn’t just external threats that occupied Fenris’s mind.
Lyra approached, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You’ve been quiet since we started planning the attack. What’s troubling you?”
Fenris sighed, turning to face her. The worry lines etched on his face seemed deeper than ever. “It’s the route we’ve chosen. To reach the portal, we’ll have to pass through Blackmoon territory.”
Understanding dawned in Lyra’s eyes. The Blackmoon Pack was Fenris’s former pack, the one he’d left behind years ago to forge his own path. “You’re afraid of running into them?”
“Not afraid,” Fenris corrected, a hint of a growl in his voice. “But… concerned. The Blackmoons were never ones to take kindly to outsiders, even before all this started. And my departure wasn’t exactly amicable.”
Lyra nodded, remembering the bits and pieces Fenris had shared about his past over their months of traveling together. “Your former alpha – Ragnar, wasn’t it? You’ve mentioned him before.”
Fenris’s expression darkened. “Ragnar is not a man to be trifled with. He rules the Blackmoon Pack with an iron fist, and he doesn’t forgive what he sees as betrayal easily.”
“We don’t have to go that way,” Lyra offered, though they both knew it wasn’t really an option. “We could find another route-”
Fenris shook his head, squaring his shoulders. “No. It’s the fastest path to the portal, and time is not on our side. I’ll deal with whatever consequences come from facing my past.”
Lyra squeezed his hand, a gesture of support and understanding. “We’ll face it together. You’re not alone in this, Fenris.”
As night fell – or what passed for night in this new, hellish world – the strike team set out. Lyra and Fenris led the way, followed by Aelindra and a mix of human and elven warriors. They moved swiftly and silently through the ravaged countryside, always alert for the telltale signs of shadow beast activity.
As they neared the borders of Blackmoon territory, Fenris grew increasingly tense. His eyes darted from shadow to shadow, nostrils flaring as he scented the air. Lyra watched him with growing concern, realizing just how deeply the prospect of returning to his former home affected him.
Suddenly, Fenris froze, holding up a hand to halt the group. “We’re not alone,” he growled, his voice barely above a whisper.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than they found themselves surrounded. Figures melted out of the darkness, their eyes gleaming with an unnatural amber light. Werewolves, at least a dozen of them, all partially shifted into their hybrid forms.
One of them, a massive brute with silver-streaked fur, stepped forward. His lips curled back in a snarl, revealing razor-sharp fangs. “Well, well. Look what the apocalypse dragged in. The prodigal son returns.”
Fenris straightened, meeting the werewolf’s gaze unflinchingly. “Hello, Ragnar. It’s been a long time.”
Ragnar, the alpha of the Blackmoon Pack, let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Not long enough, if you ask me. You’ve got some nerve showing your face here, boy. And with a pack of outsiders, no less.”
Lyra stepped forward, her hand raised in a gesture of peace. “We mean you no harm. We’re on a mission to close the shadow portals and end this catastrophe. We only seek safe passage through your territory.”
Ragnar’s eyes narrowed as he regarded Lyra. “And who might you be, little mage? Fenris’s new alpha?” He spat the word like a curse.
“My name is Lyra, and I’m no one’s alpha. Fenris and I are partners, equals in this fight against the darkness.”
This declaration seemed to amuse Ragnar. He turned back to Fenris, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “Equals? Have you fallen so far, pup? Forgetting the strength of the pack, the power of the alpha?”
Fenris’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, but his voice remained steady. “I’ve learned that true strength comes from cooperation, not domination. Something you never understood, Ragnar.”
The air crackled with tension as alpha and former pack member stared each other down. Lyra could feel the rest of their team shifting uneasily behind her, hands inching towards weapons.
Finally, Ragnar broke the silence with a contemptuous snort. “Fine words from a lone wolf. But words won’t save you from what’s coming. The old ways are dead, boy. Only the strong survive now.”
As if to emphasize his point, a distant howl split the air – a sound filled with pain and rage. Ragnar’s smile grew wider, more feral. “You hear that? The darkness doesn’t discriminate. It takes werewolf and human alike. But some of us… some of us have found a way to use it.”
With a gesture from Ragnar, the encircling werewolves began to change. Their forms twisted and warped, fur darkening to an inky black shot through with veins of pulsing red energy. Their eyes, once amber, now glowed with an unholy crimson light. Lyra gasped, feeling the wrongness of the transformation. “What have you done?”
Ragnar laughed, a sound devoid of any warmth or humanity. “We’ve evolved, little mage. The shadow essence offers power beyond your wildest dreams. And all it asks in return is complete submission.”
Fenris stepped protectively in front of Lyra, his own transformation beginning. But unlike the corrupted werewolves surrounding them, his shift was clean, natural. “You’re insane, Ragnar. You’ve doomed yourself and the entire pack.”
“Insane? No, boy. I’m a survivor. And now, you have a choice to make.” Ragnar’s voice dropped to a silky purr, laden with dark promise. “Join us. Embrace the shadow, and reclaim your place in the pack. Or die here with your human pets.”
For a heart-stopping moment, Lyra feared Fenris might waver. The pull of pack, of belonging, was strong – she had seen evidence of that in their travels together. But when Fenris spoke, his voice was firm and filled with conviction.
“My place is here, fighting against the darkness. Not succumbing to it.” Ragnar’s face twisted with rage. “Then you’ll die like the weak fool you are!”